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Rangers to help contribute to charity half-marathon

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McConaughey visits Rangers 2:16

Matthew McConaughey discusses a new partnership with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and his own 'just keep livin' foundation

By T.R. Sullivan

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation's "just keep livin'" kids will be participating in the Dallas Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon, thanks to the Competitor Group. The race is scheduled for March 24, starting in downtown Dallas and finishing in Fair Park.

The kids will run the second half of the race in brand-new shoes donated by Brooks. The students in the just keep livin programs are from Dallas' Pinkston High School, Fort Worth's Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School, and Arlington's Sam Houston High School. In addition to the students running, about 75 just keep livin participants and teachers will run the water stop near mile 10.

This year, the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation can offer race enthusiasts a special discount through a partnership with the Competitor Group. Fans who wish to run in the event can use the coupon code TXRANGERS. After they register for the race, fans will be able to sign up on texasrangers.com/foundation to be a fundraiser for the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and create their own personal fundraising page to help the Foundation.

In May 2011, the Rangers Foundation launched a partnership with the just keep livin Foundation (founded by Matthew and Camila McConaughey) and implemented the after-school program in three high schools in North Texas. The program takes place twice a week, two hours a week after school, and provides fitness, nutrition, and self-awareness activities. Students also participate in a variety of community service activities.

The schools were chosen based on need, health of the students, and program's ability to change the wellness of the population. The schools participating in the just keep livin programs are Sam Houston High School in Arlington; Pinkston High School in Dallas; and Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School in Fort Worth.

"In our after-school program, we encourage students to improve their physical and mental health through exercise, teamwork, gratitude and positive life choices," said Karin Morris, executive director of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. "In these programs our kids gain confidence, a better attitude, self-reliance and hope for a great future."

This is the third year for the half-marathon. Last year there were more than 11,000 runners, relay team participants and wheelchair competitors who crossed the finish line.

Runners follow an upside-down, U-shaped point-to-point course at the Rock & Roll Dallas Half Marathon, which starts near the Dallas Convention Center and finishes at the Cotton Bowl. In between, runners make their way through the Highlands Park neighborhood, past a pair of local parks and past the campus of Southern Methodist University. There are live bands at every mile, cheerleaders on the course and a post-race concert headlined by Andy Grammer.

The new race will benefit the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure program, which raises money for the fight against breast cancer in races across the country.